Max Verstappen Says George Russell Needs a ‘Big Turnaround’ to Catch Kimi Antonelli in the Title Fight

• Max Verstappen says George Russell needs a “big turnaround” to stop teammate Kimi Antonelli winning the 2026 title, with Russell 66 points behind heading into the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
• Verstappen says Antonelli’s rookie season last year has made him comfortable with the current regulations, while Russell has at times looked unsettled by them.
• Mercedes brought a seven-part upgrade to Sepang for the pair, but Russell and Antonelli both made mistakes in Friday practice and ended the day seventh and eighth.

Watch every race of the 2026 season live on Apple TV

Verstappen Delivers a Blunt Verdict on Mercedes’ Title Battle

Max Verstappen believes George Russell needs a “big turnaround” if he is to deny Kimi Antonelli the 2026 world championship, with the Mercedes teammates arriving at the 16th round of the season separated by 66 points.

That round is being held at Sepang in Malaysia, a stand-in fixture after the original Bahrain date was pulled from the calendar amid the conflict in the Middle East. Russell, 28, won the season opener in Australia and looked like the championship favorite early on, but a car that suited Antonelli’s style let the 20 year old pull clear through the middle of the year. Antonelli has won eight races this year to Russell’s three, though Russell’s victory in Azerbaijan a week ago, where he led every lap from pole after Antonelli crashed out in qualifying, has given him reason to believe the fight is still alive.

Verstappen Questions Whether Russell Lost His Nerve

Verstappen, a four-time world champion, gave his verdict to the Press Association ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Asked to assess Russell’s championship chances, he said the Mercedes driver’s early-season form had at times looked like more than a simple pace deficit.

“At times it sounded as though, and I don’t want to say he [Russell] was giving up, but that maybe there were question marks,” Verstappen said. “It has probably been a little bit confusing, and that risk is always there when you have new regulations.”

Antonelli’s Rookie Advantage, in Verstappen’s Eyes

Verstappen pointed to Antonelli’s rookie year under the previous regulations as the reason Antonelli has adapted so quickly to the current generation of cars.

“Kimi is also super-talented and last year was his rookie season, so I always knew that he would make a step. The previous ground-effect cars were very hard for rookies to actually get into because it was a complicated car, and you couldn’t commit 100%,” Verstappen said.

“Now, it is a very different way of driving, and it probably suits Kimi a bit more naturally, but on the other hand, that isn’t an excuse.”

What Russell Would Need to Do

Verstappen laid out what he thinks the equation looks like for Russell from here, treating it as much a question of mindset as one of car performance.

“Sometimes you have to accept that you are sitting next to someone who is an incredible talent, right? Then you need to be mentally resilient, and it comes down to what goes on in your head, and how you keep yourself motivated,” Verstappen said.

“He [Russell] had a really good weekend in Baku, but it is still a big gap. And honestly Kimi just needs to stay close to him, and then that will be enough, even if it just one place behind.”

“It is not impossible for George [to win the title], but it needs to be a big turnaround, and when it is between teammates it is harder because you have the same car,” he said.

That last point is the crux of Verstappen’s argument. Clawing back points from a title rival in a different car can come down to a single upgrade or a single mistake from the other side. Clawing them back from a teammate in identical machinery leaves nowhere to hide, and no equipment gap to point to.

Verstappen is offering that view from the outside. With 15 of the 23 rounds complete, he sits sixth in the standings on 163 points, 139 behind Antonelli, with eight rounds still to run after Malaysia. Behind Russell on 236 points and Antonelli’s 302 sit Lewis Hamilton on 199 and Lando Norris on 186.

Mercedes Arrive in Malaysia With a Seven-Part Upgrade

Mercedes brought a significant package to Sepang for Formula 1’s first visit to Malaysia in nine years, with seven revisions spread across the floor, rear suspension and rear bodywork of the car.

The upgrade did not translate into a clean opening day for either driver. Russell and Antonelli both made mistakes in their practice runs on Friday, leaving them seventh and eighth in the order. Verstappen, by contrast, emerged as Mercedes’ biggest threat after finishing quickest in first practice, then chose not to set a lap on the fastest soft tire compound later in the day, keeping his true pace hidden from his title-fighting rivals.

A Physical Test Verstappen Is Taking on His Own Terms

The heat and humidity at Sepang are set to provide one of the toughest physical tests of the season. Unlike most of the field, Russell, Antonelli and Verstappen will not wear a cooling vest to fight the conditions. For Verstappen it is a personal choice, while Mercedes have chosen to put their resources elsewhere for their two title contenders.

Whatever unfolds across the rest of the weekend, Verstappen’s assessment leaves little room for ambiguity. In his view, Russell is not out of the title fight, but closing a 66 point gap on a teammate in the same car is a far harder task than clawing back points from a rival team, and it will take more than one good weekend in Baku to prove it is still possible.

Want more F1Chronicle.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for the best F1 news and analysis on the internet.

More F1 Reading

• Max Verstappen Storms To First Pole Of 2026
• James Vowles Says F1’s Cost Cap Has Built a ‘Two-Tier Championship’ That Is Punishing Williams
• Toto Wolff Admits George Russell Struggled to Accept Kimi Antonelli’s Blistering Start to 2026
• Fred Vasseur Admits the ‘Noise’ Around Ferrari Has Become a ‘Big Issue’ Ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Written by

Jack Renn

Jack Renn is an editor at F1 Chronicle and a veteran motorsport journalist with 25 years of experience covering Formula 1 and international motorsport. A member of the Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive (AIPS), the global body representing accredited sports journalists, Jack has spent his career reporting from paddocks and press rooms across the F1 calendar. His work spans race analysis, technical insight, and in-depth features, giving readers authoritative coverage grounded in decades of firsthand experience at the highest level of the sport.

More articles by Jack Renn →